Must Be Tuesday
by ChristyCat
Summary: Lois finds herself in trouble. Again.


**Title: **Must Be Tuesday  
**Category:** VERY loose movie-verse  
**Prompt:** #24 - Train Station Platform  
**Rating:** PG  
**Word Count:** 3115 Oh that's right, I broke 3000. Woot!  
**Summary:** Lois finds herself in trouble. Again.  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Author's Notes:** This ditty is my prompt for the 12 Days of Clois Challenge! Originally this was going to be a much more serious prompt, but as it unfolded it got lighter. Much lighter. Maybe even too light lol. Normally it's one of my peeves how Lois is always getting into trouble and risking her life counting on Superman to ALWAYS save her. Just because for some reason I tend to side with Clark on this particular issue. But apparently the muse was setting all that aside for today and have a little fun with it. This is a very loosely canoned fic. No identities revealed, their relationship is definitely not all business and there is a definite flirty vibe goin on. Anyway! I hope you like!

'Must Be Tuesday'

-----------------------------

The subway station was quiet for this time of day, comparatively speaking.

The high pitched screech of arriving subway trains echoed through the air and mingled with the staticy and underwhelmed announcements spouting from the rickety speakers that hung loosely from the terminal walls.

The morning rush hour was long gone, and the crush of humanity had given way to the tricklings of the midmorning tourists. The lull was fleeting and over the next hour or so as lunchtime arrived, the masses would once again descend packing them all, locals and tourists alike, into the train station like sardines.

The ears of Metropolis natives were well tuned to the garbled utterances. Most commuters recognized their stop announcement by syllabic cadence rather than actual word pronunciation. However right now the station held a small number of out-of-towners that wandered to and fro from information desk to wall map trying to find their way to the correct train.

Lois folded the latest edition of _The Inquisitor_ she'd been reading into her lap. She felt no sense of shame that it wasn't a copy of _The Planet_. At this very moment she was headed to _Inquisitor_ headquarters to investigate bribery accusations. It wouldn't be the first time that their headlines were founded on dollars rather than truth, and Lois took special pride in debunking their scare tactic-laced sensationalism that they dared to pedal as "news."

She opened the flap of her purse and impatiently stuffed the folded paper inside. As she did, the precarious angle of the bag and her less than gentle handling of it, sent the contents spilling onto the floor.

Lois cursed under her breath and knelt briefly on the grimy cement of the station floor. She collected the bulk of the contents before noticing her voice recorder had skittered under the bench she'd been sitting on. Lois grimaced and leaned low, trying not to think about the festival of bacteria that surrounded her.

She reached out, her hand nearly brushing against the equally dirty work boot of the man who had been sitting back to back with her on the bench. Her hand closed around the recorder and as she moved to rise, a weak red glow caught her attention. Her eyes wandered to the duffle bag beside the mans feet and when good sense would have snapped her backward and onto to her feet, a familiar prickle of curiosity tingled along the back of her neck leaving her to linger.

The zipper of the bag was partially undone, giving a faint view of its contents. A rat's nest of red and yellow wires surged toward a small black box. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, experience had taught her that there were few noble reasons for a duffle bag with such wares. She strained forward, flattening herself lower to the ground. Lois squinted, trying to peer more forcefully into the bag. A dim red light pulsed rhythmically, Her breath caught in her throat as further inspection yielded a panel of digital numbers.

She shot back in surprise, her head colliding with a 'thunk' on the bottom of the bench, drawing the unwanted attention of the man who belonged to the duffle bag.

"What's this?" came the surprised lilt of a British accent.

Lois rose to her feet and intense blue eyes followed her movements. His fingers clutched at the bag beside him, his knuckles white from the force with which he held the straps. The man was of considerable size, the majority of his bulk hidden beneath a tan trench coat. Every muscle in his body seemed tense and poised to strike at the slightest provocation.

Lois plastered on a well practiced look of flustered embarassment. "Sorry about that." She forcibly relaxed her posture and held up a tube of lipstick. "I dropped this." She wiggled it between her fingers.

The man's eyebrow arched up in serpentine amusement as she reached into her bag to produce a small compact. Lois popped open the compact and began to apply the lipstick. She angled the mirror, taking in the reflection of the station behind her, she turned the surface back and forth, looking…searching. The welcomed sight of a uniformed police officer came into view. Instinctively, she took a step in the officer's direction.

And it was this movement that brought the man to his feet.

Lois snapped the compact shut and dropped it into her purse. This time, her expression showed her hand and the man took a menacing toward her.

The speaker above their heads crackled to life making them both jump.

"_**45th and Lexington Avenue, 44th and Main. Metropolis Transit Authority has your safety in mind. Please step back as the train approaches." **_

The air around them began to vibrate as the room was filled with the rumblings of the approaching train. Lois sprang into motion, launching her body into a sprint, desperate to get the attention of the police officer whose back was toward her as he patrolled the train loading area.

A large pair of arms closed bruisingly around her midsection and dragged her backward toward a service exit. Lois kicked her legs for all she was worth sending a high heeled shoe flying across the room.

The scream of the arriving subway car drowned out her own.

And it wasn't a moment before something hard slammed against the back of her head bringing a searing pain that ricocheted through her skull before catapulting her into unconsciousness.

The telephone beside him rang, and Clark Kent's fingers continued typing, his fingers flying swiftly over the keys even as one hand grabbed the receiver and tucked it beneath his shoulder and cheek.

"Good morning, Clark Kent." he greeted his voice warm if not somewhat distracted.

"It's 12:30 in the afternoon now Mr. Kent or perhaps you have as poor a concept of time a your partner." A brassy female voice blared into his ear.

Clark's brow furrowed and he stopped typing. The voice belonged to _Inquistor _Editor-in-Chief, Sophia Perry and he knew it well. Previous meetings between Lois and the woman usually ended with The Planet receiving an irate phone call that threatened lawsuits. Clark brace himself and extended the phone an inch or so away from his ear.

"How can I help you today, Miss Perry?" he asked, trying not to let his mild annoyance find its way into his voice.

"You can help me by telling me why your partner is." Sophia snapped. "She was to meet me in my office over an hour ago! I agreed to this meeting against my better judgment and if Lois Lane thinks I'm going to wait around the office all day, she's got another thing coming! And furthermore-"

"I am terribly sorry for the confusion. Perhaps she thought the meeting was at another time. I'll call her immediately..." Clark interjected, knowing from experience it was the only way to get a word in.

"Don't bother, Kent. I've been calling her for an hour and she hasn't picked up. I'm done waiting. Tell Lois the meeting is off and that she can stick her accusations where the sun don't shine!"

Clark had barely opened his mouth to speak when a loud click signaled the disconnection of the call.

Clark replaced the receiver and exhaled through pursed lips.

"Holy cats, C.K! I don't even have to ask who **that** was. I could hear her yelling all the way over here!" Jimmy Olsen quipped as he leaned against the pillar beside Clark's desk. "What did Lois say _this_ time?"

"Nothing." Clark chewed the inside of his lip thoughtfully. "Lois never made it to their meeting. It was over an hour ago..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He pressed the first button, the phone automatically dialed Lois' number. Lois could be many things, aggressive, abrasive, rash, but it was unlike her to miss an appointment without calling.

"Did she say anything about any other leads?" Jimmy asked.

"..._available. Leave your name and number and I'll get back to you as soon as I can..." _

Clark rose from his seat and grabbed his coat. "I'm gonna see if I can find her. Jimmy, keep calling her cell."

Jimmy nodded and manned his battle station.

"_**42nd and Sussex . Metropolis Transit Authority has your safety in mind. Please step back as the train approaches." **_

Lois flinched in surprise and immediately regretted it. She groaned. Her head was throbbing and she could actually feel her heart beating behind her eye sockets. No matter how many times she'd been knocked unconscious, it never got any easier...or less painful.

She reached up to rub the growing knot on her head and found her hands cuffed in front of her. "That's original." Lois deadpanned.

Her eyes began to adjust to the darkness in which she found herself. A thin crack of light lined the door and strained to illuminate the service closet. All around her were various mops, brooms and cleaning supplies.

The shadows to her left stirred with movement. The man stepped into the light holding her press pass and a dark piece of cloth draped over his arm. "Ah, Miss Lane. So good of you to join me. I was afraid you were going to miss all the fun." He slid the lanyard over her head and secured it around her neck. "Forgive me for being nosey but I like to know who it is I'm kidnapping."

Lois rolled her eyes. "Right. Listen, can we skip the creepy monologue? Maybe you're thinking you'll make a fortune on ransom, that you'll further your cause through violence, or that you'll spice up a dull work week. I don't know why you're doing what you're doing and I don't care. Whatever your reason or plan, when I go back to the office, all I have to do is pull up the file from that _last_ guy who a stunt like this. And it'll end the same way all the others do; '_Bad guy behind bars. Superman saves the day, and now...the weather._'" She gestured grandly with her cuffed wrists. "All I'll need is the spelling of your last name."

The man grinned humorlessly. "Moltaire, my dear." He lifted the heavy cloth from his arm. "It seems you have me all figured out." Moltaire unfolded the garment and held it aloft. "Let's see if I can't dazzle you with a bit of creativity."

Clark soared over Metropolis his eyes scanning the streets below. He was no stranger to this circumstance. Trouble didn't find Lois, most days she baked it cookies and knocked on its door.

One way or another, Lois always called for him. It was her uncharacteristic silence that was unnerving.

He expanded his hearing, listening for her familiar voice. Peeling through the layers of sound, it was not Lois' voice that reached his ears, but rather an alarm siren followed by the sound of a panicking crowd. He was little more than a red streak across the sky as Clark picked up speed in the direction of the train station.

He descended into a world of utter chaos. People were streaming from the stairwells that lead down to the train station. Police were trying to make their way down even as they did their best to manage the frightened masses.

Upon his arrival a hush fell on the crowd. His presence had a way of calming the fearful, and Clark did not take the responsibility lightly. His face was the very picture of confident reassurance as he landed beside the lead officer on the scene.

The Lieutenant nodded in greeting as he barked order to the officers who were already in motion, carrying out the roles they had been trained to accomplish.

"Superman, Good to see you." he extended his hand.

Clark took it and returned his grim smile. "Lieutenant Grissom. What are we dealing with today?" His eyes scanned through the crowds looking for the source of the commotion.

Grissom ran a hand through his thinning salt and pepper hair. "We're still gathering information. All we know is; white male, mid 30s, blonde hair with a bomb last seen on Platform B. My officers haven't been able to establish contact yet."

"I'll see what I can do." Clark said, taking a step toward the entrance to the subway.

The older man nodded. "We are always happy to have your help, Superman. Just be advised we don't know how many people are down there with him. Proceed with caution."

The hero nodded and with that disappeared down the stairwell.

A trickle of sweat ran down the small of Lois' back as Moltaire led her through the crowded subway platform. People all around her were screaming. Some were running, others fell to the ground and covered their heads. More than a few fainted dead away and even now lay unconscious on the grimy cement.

Lois glanced down at the wires crisscrossing her chest. Beneath them, the bomb itself was strapped over her ribs. She took slow steps, her breathing shallow and smooth to prevent tripping the charge.

Life and death situations had become commonplace in her life and she cursed her mouth that had undoubtedly landed her in her current predicament.

Moltaire glared at her, jabbing her back with the nose of his gun, his other hand clenched around a small triggering mechanism. Lois had seen enough such contraptions to know what would happen if he let go.

Toward the exit, a symphony of hushed whispers began to spread through the cowering masses around them. Heads began to turn and Lois' eyes followed their gazes.

The sunlight from the street above poured over the stairwell, and on it stood Superman. For all the times he'd come to her rescue, Lois never lost the wonderment she always felt at the mere sight of him. He descended each step slowly, deliberately, his cape billowing behind him like the wings of an avenging angel.

Their eyes met across the room and Lois saw a momentary flicker of surprise flash across his features before it was replaced with a quizzical lift of an ebony eyebrow. She offered a small guilty shrug of apology. Despite the tension in the room, she swore she saw him almost smiled in reply.

Moltaire shifted uncomfortably, bringing her back to the present as he thrust the gun more firmly into her back.

"I do hope you're here to negotiate terms." His English accent lilting and popping smugly in stark contrast to the silence that filled the room.

Superman said nothing, but stepped off the stairs and made his way toward them across the platform. As he passed, the people behind him began to flee up the exit, the arrival of the hero lending them courage.

At a hundred feet, Moltaire growled. "That's close enough, Superman." He stepped from behind Lois and lifted the trigger for Superman to see. "I let go of this button and the charges blow. You move her out of range, and the charges blow. And I highly doubt you can remove the vest faster than the speed of electricity."

Superman's gaze fell to the villain's hand. His eyes burned hotly, causing waves of heat to shimmer around his face.

"And if you short the trigger with your heat vision. Well... one never knows. It could prevent the detonation, or it could cause it. I wonder, Superman if you would like to take that chance."

A slow smile spread across Superman's features. "Well then. I guess you've thought of everything."

"I have." Moltaire chuckled in self-appreciation. "Now, why don't you run along and tell the negotiators I want $30 million in unmarked bills, and a - "

Superman sighed and cast his eyes heavenward.

Incredulous, Moltaire stopped mid sentence to regard the man before him. "Am I boring you?"

Superman bit his lip to mask his smile. "No. I'm sorry, I've never heard this particular version of this speech before." His lip twitched upward. "Please. Continue."

A quiet snicker floated up out of the seated crowd.

Moltaire's head turned toward the sound. It was only a momentary distraction, but that was all Superman needed.

A burst of wind kicked up dust and trash from the platform floor. A primary colored blur surrounded the man. When the dust settled, Moltaire found himself dangling awkwardly from the unforgiving grip of the Man of Steel, hands void of both gun and trigger, wearing a shocked expression.

Lt. Grissom appeared moments later, the room filling with uniformed officers ready to defuse the bomb around Lois' chest and begin the business of wrapping up another successful collaboration with Superman.

Within twenty minutes, relative calm had been restored to the terminal. The subway cars had returned to their routes, statements had been given and the bad guy had once again been thwarted by the city's champion.

The crowds dispersed and Lois found herself standing alone, sans exploding accessory waiting for an available taxi.

Superman appeared beside her clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "Lois Lane wearing a bomb. It must be Tuesday." his eyes sparkled teasingly.

Lois looked at him a moment before tilting her head quizzically. "Huh."

He returned her look in kind. "What is it?"

An impish smile slid across her face. "I don't know, I guess I was expecting a bit more in the way of a lecture."

He scoffed slightly. "Would it make a difference?"

Her expression the very picture of innocence. "Believe it or not, I had nothing to do with this. I was just in the right place at the right time."

"Wrong place, Lois. _Wrong_ place at the wrong time." He interjected.

"Oh yes...of course." her tone belying her correction. Lois wrapped her arms around his neck and he reflexively gathered her into his arms.

"You know, next time I may not show up. I think it only reinforces this behavior." His own tone no more serious than hers as he took to the sky.

Lois grinned, laying her head on his shoulder. "Mmhmm. Face it, you can't help saving me from trouble any more than I can help getting into it. It's what makes us such a good team." She laid a gentle kiss on his cheek. "Now, _partner_, if you wouldn't mind setting a course for _The Planet_, I think I might still be able to make the evening edition."

Clark glanced at Lois' watch. "Lois, your deadline is in fifteen minutes."

Lois' eyes sparkled with mischief. "The article is already typed up. I just need to fill in the name." She couldn't help a giggle at his surprised expression. "What can I say. It's Tuesday."


End file.
